Bobbin inspecting device



R. FERGUSON Jan. 13, 1959 BOBBIN INSPECTING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1955 mm M INVENTOR. men/mp FERGUSON BY '7 M 8 ATTORNEYS Jan. 13, 1959 R. FERGUSON BOBBIN INSPECTING DEVI/ICE.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. RICHARD FERGUSON Filed Feb. 24, 1955 Jan. 13, 1959 R. FERGUSON 2,868,372

BOBBIN INSPECTING DEVICE Filed 595.24, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

mcump have won BY ATTGRNEKS United States Patent BOBBIN IINSPECTING DEVICE Richard Ferguson, Charlotte, N. C., assignor to The Terrell Machine Company, a corporation of North Carolina This invention relates to bobbin inspecting devices for checking the completeness of a bobbin stripping operation, and in particular to a novel feeling arrangement for a device of this sort by which exceptionally efficient inspection can be obtained.

Generally characterized,*the bobbin inspecting device of the present invention comprises means for suspending and guiding a series of bobbins along a given path, and a feeler extending angularly into this path for opposing abutment with the guided bobbins and yieldably mounted for selective pivoting and bodily retracting movement or displacement by such opposing abutment, so as successivelyto feel the bobbins as they are guided in series, while indicating or signaling the condition of each bobbin by the selective feeler movement; the feeler being arranged so that, in successively feeling each bobbin of a series, it

will slip along the bare barrel of a completely stripped bobbin and thereby have only a pivoting movement, but will be engaged and held against slipping by any residual yarn on an incompletely stripped bobbin and thereby forced to have a bodily retracting movement indicating the presence of the residual yarn. This indication of the residual yarn can then be employed readily for actuating or triggering the operation of a mechanism arranged to separate the incompletely stripped bobbins from the series being inspected.

This characteristic arrangement and other features of the present invention are described infurther detail be-.

low, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a bobbin inspectiondevice embodying the present invention, as seen from the end at which inspected bobbins are discharged therefrom;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding generally to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a corresponding side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a detail in side elevation illustrating the arrangement of the bobbin inspector feeler;

Fig. 5 is a detail in end elevation as seen from the left in Fig. 4; i

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the feeler actuated control circuit;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary modified form of feeler tip; and

Fig. 8 is a top plan view corresponding to Fig. 7.

As illustrated in the drawings, the bobbin inspecting device of the present invention is shown. arranged for combination with a bobbin stripping apparatus .of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,342,909, the frame side elevation of a at the discharge end of the bobbin stripping apparatus being indicated in the drawings at F. The bobbin'inspecting device is arranged on the frame F in relation to spaced rails 10 and 11 forming the previously mentioned bobbin suspending and guiding means, and serving at the same time as the discharge means for stripped bobbins from the stripping apparatus as illustrated in the above noted prior patent. The rails 10 and 11 are spaced so as to suspend the bobbins at the butts thereof (as indicated at B in Fig. l), and they extend so as to guide a series of stripped bob- 2,868,372 Patented Jan. 13, 19.59

bins issuing from the stripping apparatus: along a given path as defined by the rail extent.

Each of these spaced rails 10 and 11 have respective bracket structures assembled therewith, as: indicated generally at 12 and 13. Thebracket structure 12 comprises an alignment arm 14 formed to reach above the frame F and to be secured level and parallel with the rail 10, adjacent the outer edge thereof, by means of a tie member 15 and a lower bracket plate 16 fixed, respectively, at 0pposite ends of the alignment arm 14 to extend at right. angles therefrom for fastening in overlying relation to the rail 10, as shown. The tie member 15 is fastenedto the rail 14) intermediately of the rail length, and suitably, has an angle form in cross section so as to provide an upright face 15' at which a counter (not shown) or other accessory may be mounted; while the lower bracket plate 16.

overlies the extending end of the rail 10 and has a lateral portion 16 extending beyond this rail end with the inner edge thereof in stepped alignment with the inner edge of rail 10;

Above the lower bracket plate 16, and the lateral portion 16 thereof, an upper bracket plate 17' is mounted on spacer blocks18 and 19; and below the lower bracket plate 16, a depending flange 20 is arranged at the inner edge of lateral portion 16 with a clearance opening at 21 and an adjacent angled lip 22, which reaches beneath the rail 16 to theinner edge thereof for a purpose that is explained further below. 6

At the underside of the upper bracket plate 17, a guide.

bracket 23, fitted with a cover cap 24, is mounted to house and support a feeler arm 25. The guide bracket 23 is formed along one side with a lateral mounting flange23". at which it is secured to the upper bracket plate 17, and

The feeler arm 25 is normally positioned at theabutment 27 to extend horizontally from the housing chamber 26, but is arranged therein so that it is yieldably supported,

for selective pivoting and bodily retracting movement with respect to the guide bracket 23, as indicated in Fig. 4.by broken lines. For this purpose, the feeler arm 25 hasthe supported end thereof formed with a curving offset portion at 29 for riding the lower side wall of the recessed housing chamber 26, and a foot portion 30 extending transversely therefrom to reach closely adjacent the upper side wall of chamber 26 and terminating in a short contact arm portion 31 angled to extend in the same direction as the feeler arm 25.

The normal positioning of the feeler arm 25 is effected by a tension spring 32 that is extended from an anchor pin 33 within the housing chamber 26 to exert an angled pull .on the foot portion 30 about midway of its length for abutment by the extending end of the contact arm portion 31, from an insulated mounting on the outer face of the cover cap 24 (as shown best in Fig. 5 at 35), and is spaced within a slot 36 formed through the cover cap 24 and across the recessed housing chamber 26. This contact blade 34 is wired through a connection at 37 to.

one leg 38 of an electric circuit (compare Figs. 5 and 6),

the other leg 39 of which is grounded through a connection to the guide bracket 23 at 46, so that the feeler arm maintains this circuit closed between the connections 37 and 40 as long as the contact arm portion 31 remains in abutment with the contact blade 34. As illustrated by the broken line representations in Fig. 4, the contact arm portion31 remains in abutment with the contact blade 34, despite any pivoting movement, until bodily retraction of the feeler arm v25 moves the contact arm portion 31 off of the contact blade 34, and such bodily retracting movement of the feeler arm 25 can therefore be detected and distinguished by any opening of the electric circuit between the connections 37 and 4%.

As mounted beneath the upper bracket plate 17, the guide bracket 23 is located laterally of the bobbin guide rail and is arranged angularly so as to support the feeler arm 25 with a normal extending disposition reaching, through the clearance opening 21 in the depending flange 20 formed on the lateral portion 16' of lower bracket plate 16, under the rail 10, and into the path along which the bobbins B are guided by the spaced rails 10 and llffor successive opposing abutment with each bobbin B passing along this path. For this purpose, the angular disposition of the guide bracket 23 and the feeler arm 25 should be of the order of 45 with respect to the bobbin path defined by the rails 10 and 11, and the extending end or tip. of the feeler arm 25 should terminate short of the center line of this path. Other angular dispositions and extending lengths of the feeler arm 25 could be employed to provide bobbin inspecting operation in accordance with the present invention, but the feeler arm arrangement specified just above is the most advantageous one.

At its extending end, the feeler arm 25 is fitted with tip 41 comprising a thin steel plate having a main portion presenting a relatively sharp extending edge at 42 formed right angularly with respect to the extending axis of feeler arm 25, and disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bobbins Bbeing guided along the spaced rails 10 and 11 for inspection. The tip 41 is fitted on the feeler arm 25 by fastening means normally positioned partly beneath the extending end of rail 10 and partly beneath an extension bar 43 mounted in alignment with rail 10 at the underside of the lateral portion 16 of lower bracket plate 16', and a pad 4-4, suitably formed of nylon, is fastened with the tip 41 on the feeler 25 to serve both as a bumper and a sliding pad beneath the rail 10 and extension bar 43. The extension bar 43 is provided separately from the rail 10 so that it may be interchanged in greater thicknesses whenever necessary for lowering the feeler tip 41 in proper relation to the butts of the bobbins B being inspected. It should also be noted that the feeler tip 41 is formed with a lateral portion 41 that remains beneath the rail 10 at the fullest extension of the feeler arm 25, and thereby serves to protect'the feeler tip 41 and feeler arm 25 against fouling by any stray windings that may have become disarranged and disposed to work under the rail it from incompletely stripped bobbins in a series being inspected. The angled lip 22, at the clearance opening 21 through which the feeler arm 25 extends, further serves the same purpose.

With the feeler arm 25 extending, as previously not-ed for opposing abutment successively with each bobbin B guided along the spaced rails 10 and 11 for inspection, it is the tip 41 at the extending end of the feeler arm 25 that actually inspects the bobbin B. The yieldably mounted feeler arm 25 normally disposes the extending edge 42 of tip 41 in opposed abutting relation at the butt end of the barrel of each bobbin B as it is advanced on the rails 10 and 11 for inspection; with the extending axis of the feeler arm 25, and of the main portion of tip 4l, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bobbin B (i. e., fully raised beneath the extension bar 43 and nearly perpendicular, if not truly so, as when a thicker extension bar 43 is used to lower the feeler tip 41 for proper disposition at the bobbin butt).

As an abutting bobbin B continues to advance on. the

rails 10 and 11, the feeler arm 25 is displaced against the bias of the tension spring 32 and caused to move from its normal position. If the barrel of the abutting bobbin B is bare (i. e., completely stripped), the extending edge 42 of the feeler tip 41 will slip downward lengthwise of the depending bobbin barrel to cause downward pivoting movement of the feeler arm 25. The guide bracket 23 is disposed so that this pivoting movement takes place in a plane aligned with the longitudinal axis of the abutting bobbin B and including the extending axis of the feeler arm 25, so that the result of the pivoting movement is gradually to displace or remove the feeler tip 41, during its feeling stroke, from the path of the bare abutting bobbin B and allow it to pass on, whereupon the feeler arm 25 is returned to its normal position by the tension spring 32 for inspection of the next succeeding bobbin B.

If, however, the abutting bobbin B is incompletely stripped, the unstripped yarn windings thereon will when reached engage and hold the feeler tip 41 at its extending edge 42 against further slipping along the bobbin barrel, and thereby force the displacement of the feeler arm 25 to take place as bodily retracting movement. This bodily retracting movement takes place in the same plane as the pivoting movement that occurs when the bobbin barrel being inspected is bare, and the result is likewise to remove the feeler tip 41 from the path of the abutting bobbin B for return to normal position to inspect the next bobbin B; but the bodily retracting movement unseats the feeler arm 25 from the contact blade 34, as previously noted, and the indication of the incompletely stripped bobbin B thereby detected is employed to actuate means for separating such bobbins from the series being inspected.

The separating means is arranged on the bracket structure 13 previously mentioned as being associated with the bobbin guide rail 11. The bracket structure 13 comprises a supporting arm 45 fastened to overlie and extend beyond the rail 11 in stepped alignment with the inner edge thereof corresponding with the similar alignment of the lateral portion 16' of lower bracket plate 16 with the inner edge of rail 10. Beyond the extending end of rail 11, a spacer plate 46 is fixed at the underside of supporting arm 45 in a thickness equal to that of the rail 11 and spaced from the end thereof, while a bottom plate 47 is fixed at the lower face of spacer plate 46 extending nearly to the end of rail 11, with a depending flange 48 arranged at the inner edgeof this bottom plate 47 opposite and coextensive with the depending flange 20 on the lateral portion 16 of lower bracket plate 16, and with a smaller depending flange 49 at the outer edge thereof.

In the space left between the extending end of rail 11 and the spacer plate 46, and between the supporting arm 45 and bottom plate 47 beyond the end of rail 11, a gate member 50 is slidably disposed in alignment with the rail 11,. and opposite the extension bar 43 provided at rail 10. As thus disposed, the gate member 50 is laterally slidable and is fitted with a positioning pin 51 and biased from a torsion spring 52 so as normally to be maintained in alignment with the rail 11. At its remote end, however, the gate member 50 is connected through a pin 53' with the armature 53 of a solenoid relay 54 mounted in a housing 55 carried on a bracket 56 fastened at the top face of supporting arm 45, with the previously mentioned smaller depending flange 49 at the'outer edge of bottom plate 47 serving as a shroud for the lower portion of housing 55; Actuation of the solenoid 54 results in retracting the gate member 50 from alignment The means for accomplishing this actuation is illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, in which a Wiring diagram is shown for an electric control system housed within a control box 57 (compare Fig. 1) and comprising a line connection 58 wired through a fuse block 59 to a transformer 60 for low voltage conversion, and to a control relay 61 and time delay relay 62. The low voltage circuit from the transformer 60 has one leg 63 thereof connected at a terminal strip 64 to the previously mentioned circuit leg 39 that is grounded at the feeler guide bracket 23, and its other leg 65 is connected through the energizing coil 66 of the control relay 61 to the previously mentioned circuit leg 38 that runs to the contact blade 34 for the feeler arm 25, so that this low voltage circuit is normally closed and remains closed until opened at the contact blade 34 by bodily retracting movement of the feeler arm 25 indicating an incompletely stripped bobbin B. A condenser 34' is preferably connected across the circuit legs 38- and 39 to improve the service life and functioning of the contact blade 34.

Upon such opening of the low voltage circuit, the energizing coil 66 of control relay 61 is deenergized to shift an open contactor 67 of the relay to closed position, while opening a second contactor 68. Closing of the contactor 67 completes a circuit across the line connection 58 comprising circuit legs 69 and 70 running to one side of the energizing coil 71 of time delay relay 62, circuit leg 72 connecting the other side of coil 71 to terminal strip 64 and circuit leg 73 connected from the same point on the terminal strip 64 back to the other side of the line connection 58 and the closing of this circuit results in energizing the time delay relay coil 71 so that its contactor 71' is closed. As the feeler arm 25 is arranged so that it returns to normalposition after passing an incompletely stripped bobbin B that has caused it to retract bodily, the above noted low voltage circuit is closed again at the contact blade 34 as soon as the feeler arm 25 recovers, which results in energizing again the control relay coil 66 so as to open again the contactor 67 thereof and close the second contactor 68. Opening of the contactor 67 deenergizes the time delay relay coil 71 and starts the time delay period of the relay 62. Closing of contactor 68 results in connecting circuit legs 74 and 75 which are connected to the terminal strip 64 to energize coil 76 of the gate member solenoid 54 as long as the contactor 71 of relay 62 remains closed during the time delay period. For this purpose, the circuit leg 74 is connected at the terminal strip 64 to a circuit leg 77 running to one side of the solenoid coil 76, and circuit leg 75 is connected at the terminal strip to a circuit leg 78 running to the time delay contactor 71 from which a further circuit leg 79 runs to a connection with the circuit leg 69 running from line connection 58 and from which the circuit leg 73 runs to the terminal strip 64 'for connection to the other side of solenoid coil 76 through circuit leg 80. Upon energizing of the solenoid coil 76 the slidable gate member 50 is retracted to drop the incompletely stripped bobbin that has been indicated by the bodily retracting movement of the feeler arm 25. At the end of the time delay period, the contactor 71' opens to deenergize solenoid coil 76 and thereby allow gate member 50 to return to its normal position aligned with rail 11. The time delay period of the relay 62 is set, however, so that an immediately succeeding incompletely stripped bobbin B will result in reenergizing the time delay relay coil 71 before completion of the time delay period. Also, the gate member solenoid 54 is provided with a contactor 81 that serves to connect the coil circuit leg 77 to a further circuit leg 82 running to the terminal strip 64 for connection to the circuit leg 78 running to the time delay relay contactor 71 so as to provide a holding circuit that maintains the gate member 50 open whenever the control relay 61 is deenergized,

and thereby allows successive incompletely stripped bobbins B to be dropped at the gate member whenever necessary. On the other hand, until an incompletely stripped bobbin B causes bodily retraction of the feeler arm 25, the above described electrical control circuit remains undisturbed and allows all completely stripped bobbins to pass on over the gate member 50 after they have been inspected, for collection separately from the incompletely stripped bobbins that are dropped by the gate member 50.

The depending flanges 28 and 48, incorporated in the bracket structures 12 and 13 beyond the spaced guide rails 18 and 11, form a chute for directing the completely stripped bobbins separately for collection as noted above, and independent means is provided according to the present invention for positively advancing beyond the gate member 50 all bobbins B not dropped thereby (i. e., all completely stripped bobbins). This means advantageously comprises an air jet 83 formed in a nozzle block 84 to which a conduit connection is made at 85 for delivering air under pressure through the jet 83. The nozzle block 84 has the air jet 83 formed therein so that it may be disposed above the gate member 50 to deliver a constant air blast directed angularly downward on the butts of the bobbins B in the direction of bobbing movement along the rails 18 and 11, and act to eject the bobbins B into the chute formed by the depending flanges 20 and 48 as they are moved onto the gate member 5%) without being dropped thereby. By this arrangement the gate member 51 is kept free of bobbins B that have been inspected and found properly stripped, so that the succeeding bobbins B may be advanced onto the gate member 50 after each one is inspected, without having to displace a previously inspected bobbin therefrom, and so that all completely stripped bobbins are ejected in a regular manner whether or not followed by an incompletely stripped bobbin. The above noted disposition of the nozzle block 84 to arrange the air jet 83 properly above the gate member 50 is provided for by extension bars 36 fastened at each side of the nozzle block 84 and mounted in extending relation at each side of a hold down bar 87 normally provided for maintaining the bobbins B properly seated on guide rails 10 and 11 as they are advanced thereon. In this connection, it should also be noted that an apron 88 is mounted on the frame F to extend with an angled lip 89 providing lateral positioning support for the bobins B adjacent their depending tips to maintain them properly aligned as they are advanced past the feeler tip 41 for inspection.

The above described bobbin inspecting means of the present invention is adapted particularly for inspecting loom or filling bobbins (or quills), which characteristically have a bunch remaining on the bobbin barrel adjacent the butt thereof when delivered in spent condition for stripping, and which still carry some residual portion of this bunch when incompletely stripped. Other types of bobbins on which the residual yarn windings are normally distributed over a greater length of the barrel might be inspected according to the present invention by proportioning the feeler arm 25 to have a longer feeling stroke, or by arranging a plurality of feeler arms 25 to inspect portions of the bobbin barrel successively, but the most important and most needed application of the present invention is in the inspection of loom bobbins, as mentioned above and as illlustrated in the drawings.

A further point that should be noted in this connection, however, is the problem of arranging the device of the present invention to inspect loom bobbins of the type having circumferential grooves spaced along the barrel thereof. Such barrel grooves can act to engage and hold the feeler tip 41 against slippage along the barrel and thereby cause a false indication of an incompletely stripped bobbin, unless some provision is made to. pre

vent this result. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a modified form of feeler tip 90 comprising a thin steel plate comparable to the feeler tip 41 fitted at the extending end of the feeler arm '25 with wear washers 91, of nylon or the like, provided as an alternative means to perform the same purpose as the previously described wear pad 44 used with the feeler tip 41. The modified feeler tip 9b differs from the tip 41in that it has an extending edge 93 reaching entirely across its lateral extent at right angles to the extending axis of feeler arm 25, and a feeler strip 93 is pivotably mounted at this extending edge. This feeler strip 93 may be formed of metal, or

of nylon or a comparable material, and is arranged for i pivoting on the feeler tip as by a groove across the back face thereof having a bottom face 9 5 that is perpendicular to the back face of the strip 93 and a top face 95 that is inclined at an angle of about 45 thereto. Transversely of the groove thus formed and midway of the length of feeler strip 93 a retaining pin as is arranged therein to extend through an enlarged assembly aperture 97 adjacent the extending edge 92 of feeler tip 9% and thereby secure the feeler strip 93 pivotally in place with the extending feeler tip edge 92 seated in the back face groove thereof. When the feeler arm 25 is extnding substantially horizontally at its normal position, the Weight of the feeler strip 93 is distributed so as to maintain it uprightly on the feeler tip 90 with the bottom groove face 94 hearing against the underside of tip 96. Upon pivoting movement of the feeler arm 25 during inspection, however, the feeler strip 93 remains free to pivot at the extending feeler tip edge 92 until the top gloove face )5 is brought to bear on the top side of feeler tip 9i and the strip $3 is thereby allowed to maintain its front face in full sliding contact With the barrel of the bobbin B being inspected. The front face of the feeler strip 93 is in turn formed with a series of horizontal grooves 98 that may extend for the full length of the strip 93, or be limited to the bobbin contacting portion hereof, as is most convenient in forming the grooves. The spacing of the grooves 98 in this series formed at the front face of feeler strip 93 is selected so as to provide remaining land portions 99 between the grooves that are distributed sufiiciently so as to ride over any bobbin barrel grooves without any tendency to hang therein, While at the same time providing a front face on the feeler strip 93 that is configurated so as to be adequately aggressive with respect to residual yarn windings on the bobbin barrel that must be sensed by engagement of the feeler strip 93 therewith. When the feeler strip 93 is formed of nylon or the like, the grooves 98 preferably have a Width in the order of .015, and a like or greater depth, with intermediate land portions 99 about .010 wide; while in a metal feeler strip Q3 the land portions 99 may be narrowed to the order of .005", so as to leave proportionately wider grooves 98, and still maintain adequate hardness and wear resistance. Such proportions provide the feeler strip 9?) with a front face having what may be said to be a serrated form that acts with excellent effectiveness to ignore any bobbin barrel grooves or other surface irregularities while readily sensing and being held by yarn windings on the bobbin barrel. In this connection, it should be noted that the narrower land portions 99 permissible in a metal feeler strip 93 can be used to relatively greater advantage in inspecting bobbin B carrying fine, tightly wound, yarns. in addition to the usefulness of a feeler strip 93 of this sort. in a bobbin inspection device of the type described above, it should also be noted that this feeler strip 93 can be used to good advantage in loom feeler mechanisms such as are used to sense the need for bobbing replenishment during weaving.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise exc'ept as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1, -A bobbin inspecting device comprising means for suspending a series of bobbins at the butts thereof and guiding said suspended bobbins along a given path, and a laterally mounted feeler extending angularly below said suspending means into said path at a normally biased position for opposing abutment with suspended bobbins guided along said path, said feeler being yieldably mounted for displacement individually by said bobbins from said biased extending position with a selective pivoting and bodily retracting movement in a plane aligned with the longitudinal axis of said bobbins and including the extending axis of said feeler, whereby said feeler is arranged for successively feeling the bobbins of a series guided along said path While indicating the condition of each bobbin by the selective movement thereof, and means actuated by the selective movement of said feeler for subsequently separating from said series of bobbins any bobbin causing bodily retracting movement of said feeler.

2, A bobbin inspecting device comprising means for suspending a series of bobbins at the butts thereof with the barrels of said bobbins depending and for guiding said suspended bobbins along a given path, and a laterally mounted feeler extending angularly into said path below said suspending means at a normally biased position for opposing abutment with suspended bobbins guided along said path, said feeler at the normally biased position thereof, extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said suspended bobbins at an angle of about 45 with respect to said path and abutting the barrels of said bobbins adjacent the butts thereof, and said feeler being yieldably mounted for individual displacement from said biased extending position, upon abutment With said bobbin barrels, selectively by pivoting movement away from the bobbin butts in a plane aligned with the longitudinal axis of said bobbins and including the extending axis of said feeler, and by bodily retracting movement in said last mentioned plane, and means actuated by the selective movement of said feeler for subsequently separating from said series of bobbins any bobbin causing bodily retracting movement of said feeler.

3. A bobbin inspecting device for checking the completeness of a stripping operation, said device comprising means for suspending a series of stripped bobbins at the butts thereof and guiding said suspended bobbins along a given path with the barrels thereof depending, a laterally mounted feeler extending angularly into said path below said suspending means at a normally biased position in opposed abutting relation at the butt end of and substantially perpendicular with respect to the barrels of successive suspended bobbins guided along said path, said feeler being yieldably mounted for individual and selective displacement from said biased extending position by an abutting bobbin barrel either pivotably in a plane aligned with the longitudinal axis of said abutting bobbin, and including the extending axis of said feeler, or bodily in said plane, and means actuated by the selective displacement of said feeler for subsequently dropping from said suspending means any bobbin causing bodily displacement of said feeler.

4. A bobbin inspecting device for checking the completeness of a stripping operation, said device comprising means for suspending a series of stripped bobbins at the butts thereof and guiding said suspended bobbins along a given path with the barrels thereof depending, a feeler yieldably mounted below said suspending means for extending laterally and angularly into said path at a normal position in opposed abutting relation at the butt end of the barrel and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of successive bobbins guided along said path, said extending feeler being individually and selectively displaceable either piv'otally downwardly by an abutting, bare, bobbin barrel, or bodily from the extending position therof by an abutting, incompletely stripped, bobbin barrel, and means actuated by the selective displacement of said feeler for subsequently separating from said series of bobbins any bobbin causing bodily displacement of said feeler.

5. A bobbin inspecting device as defined in claim 4 and further characterized in that said feeler comprises an arm having a tip thereonformed with an extending edge disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said bobbins and adapted to slip on the barrels of said bobbins when bare but to be engaged and and held by any residual yarn on said barrels.

6. A bobbin inspecting device as defined in claim 5 A and further characterized in that said feeler tip comprises a thin steel plate presenting a relatively sharp extending edge.

' 7. A bobbin inspecting devices as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that said feeler tip comprises a thin steel plate, and a feeler strip mounted at the extending edge thereof for pivoting about an axis parallel to said edge, the mounting of said feeler strip normally disposing the front face thereof perpendicular to the extending axis of said feeler arm, and the front face of said strip having a series of grooves formed therein parallel to the extending edge of said feeler tip.

8. A bobbin inspecting device as defined in clalm.4 and further characterized in that said suspending means comprises spaced rails and said means for separating bobbins comprises a laterally slidable gate member normally biased in alignment with one of said rails but shiftable from said alignment for dropping bobbins from said suspending means. it

9. A bobbin inspecting device as defined in claim 8 and further characterized in that independent means is provided for positively advancing beyond said gate memher all bobbins not dropped thereby.

10. A bobbin inspecting device as defined in claim 9 and further characterized in that said advancing means comprises an air jet disposed above said gate member and directed angularly downward on the butts of said bobbins in the direction of bobbin movement along said path. i

' 11. A bobbin inspecting device as defined in claim 4 and further characterized in that said device is combined with a bobbin stripping apparatus and said suspending means comprises spaced rails forming a discharge means for stripped bobbins from said stripping apparatus.

12. A bobbin inspecting device for checking the completeness of a stripping operation on bobbins having circumferential grooves spaced lengthwise along the barrels thereof, said device comprising means for suspending a series of the stripped bobbins at the butts thereof and guiding the suspended bobbins along a given 'path with the barrels thereof depending, a laterally mounted feeler extending angularly into said path at a normally biased position in opposed abutting relation and substantially perpendicular with respect to the barrels of successive suspended bobbins guided along said path, said extending feeler being selectively displaceable either pivotally downward or bodily from the extending position thereof, and means at the extending end of said feeler arranged for slipping lengthwise of said grooved bobbin barrels when bare and for engaging and hanging on any incompletely stripped yarn windings remaining on said bobbin barrels, said meas including a plate element formed with an extending edge disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said bobbins, and a feeler strip mounted at said extending edge for pivoting about an axis parallel to said edge, said feeler strip having a front face extending lengthwise of said bobbin barrels sulficiently for bridgeing any grooves therein and having a series of grooves in said front face formed parallel to said edge and presenting a series of land portions between said grooves for engaging any yarn windings on Said barrels.

13. Means for sensing the presence of yarn windings on a bobbin barrel, said means comprising a feeler yieldably mounted for extending at a normal position in opposed abutting relation with respect to said bobbin barrel and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said barrel, said extending feeler being selectively displaceable either pivotally in a direction lengthwise of said bobbin barrel, or bodily from the extending position thereof, upon abutment with said bobbin barrel, a plate element at the extending end of said feeler formed with an extending edge disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said bobbin barrel, and a feeler strip mounted at said extending edge for pivoting about an axis parallel to said edge and formed with a series of grooves in the front face thereof parallel to said extending edge.

14. A bobbin inspecting device comprising means for suspending a series of bobbins at the butt ends thereof and guiding said bobbins along a given path, and a feeler extending angularly into said path at a normally biased position for. opposing abutment with bobbins guided along said path, said feeler being yieldably mounted for selee tive pivoting and bodily retracting movement in a plane aligned with the longitudinal axis of said bobbins and including the extending axis of said feeler, the yieldable mounting of said feeler rendering it individually displaceable by each bobbin guided along said path for indicating the condition of each such bobbin by the selective movement of said feeler upon such displacement, and means actuated by the selective movement of said feeler for sub sequently separating from said series of bobbins any bobbin causing bodily retracting movement of said feeler.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,243,342 Rhoades Oct. 16, 1917 1,593,426 Brown et al July 20, 1926 1,914,625 Turner June 20, 1933 2,459,309 Cotchett Jan. 18, 1949 2,615,566 Ball et al. Oct. 28, 1952 2,634,489 Root Apr. 14, 1953 2,638,658 Goodhue et al May 19, 1953 2,640,590 McClelland et al. June 2, 1953 

